


The Art of Subtlety

by sbdrag



Category: Deus Ex (Video Games), Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Genre: A one shot, Alpha Jensen, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, M/M, Omega Pritchard, PWP, This was supposed to be shorter, sigh
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-12-26
Updated: 2015-01-28
Packaged: 2018-03-03 14:47:54
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,277
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2854682
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sbdrag/pseuds/sbdrag
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jensen is quite possibly the most subtle Alpha Pritchard has ever met.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This scene kept playing in my head oh my god I love A/B/O dynamics fics and I just had to.

Honestly, he could handle the Alphas swaggering around and producing pheromones so thick you could taste them. He could take care of the assholes who thought that he should be working from home to keep the Alphas and Betas from being distracted. He could even tolerate the people that thought he wasn’t fit to be working because he was an Omega. He might not take these in stride or even gracefully, but he could tolerate them.

The only thing Francis Wendell Pritchard could not stand was when his biology decided to completely fuck him over for no reason.

The Head of Cyber Security could feel it coming on like tiny spiders crawling through his veins, inch by burning inch as he shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Pritchard sighed, looking at the date. Two weeks. Two _fucking_ weeks since his last heat. This was supposed to be an annual thing, not a _well, you’ve been under a lot of pressure, so I decided you must **like** being stressed out, so here, have some more._ The technician grabbed a cigarette, lighting it quickly to calm his nerves. Nicotine had a slight negating effect on Omega hormones, which was how he got away with smoking indoors. Well, that and it could help drown out the scent of any Alpha that had decided to try and claim him.

Pritchard took a long drag, then tilted his head back to watch the smoke as it dissipated towards the ceiling. God, he hated biology. With a curse, he sat back up and shot off an email to Sarif that he was leaving early today for “personal reasons”. Given Pritchard only ever used that excuse for one thing, the boss was pretty quick on the uptake. He sent a reply back as Pritchard closed up shop and made sure everything was being taken care of.

_Again? Frank, this is getting to be a problem. Have you talked to a doctor?_

Pritchard rubbed his forehead. There was the headache coming on. And he was already out of suppressants, given the prescription was only filled once a year. He drummed his fingers on his desk, reining in his frustration. Had he gone to the doctor for a hormonal problem that was causing him to lose valuable time working and forcing him to stay in bed for days at a time while he was racked with painful bouts of unsatisfied lust? No, of course not, why would he possibly do something like that? 

_Yes, and they said that there’s nothing wrong. In fact, she asked if someone was courting me, because that could be the only explanation that wasn’t a chemical imbalance. And before you ask, no, I’m not being courted._

Pritchard continued getting things in as much order as he could, lighting another cigarette. His hands were getting a little shakey, which was never a good sign. This was coming on faster than usual; but, then again, the last one had done so as well. Pritchard sighed. He almost wished someone was courting him, so he could reject them outright and end this madness. He sent a text to Malik. As a Beta, she was a good escort against any nosey Alphas that had trouble containing themselves around an Omega in heat. In the meantime, Sarif had neglected to send a reply to his last email. Pritchard took a deep breath in through the nose, and immediately regretted it.

The main reason he didn’t allow people in his office was the way Alphas liked to throw their scent around and mark things. It was annoying and entirely rude, but they did it anyways and Pritchard had just gotten tired of it, and so kept everyone out. And then came Jensen. Jensen, who waltzed in completed unprompted, for one reason or another. Granted, it was usually a completely valid, security related reason, but still. He was the only person in the entire goddamn building that could walk into Pritchard’s office without explicit permission, and that was really only for two reasons.

One, the man was the most subtle Alpha Pritchard had ever met. In fact, it was probably what made him so good at his job. He was discreet, and so was his scent. It was… clean, somehow, with just the barest hint of musk. And he kept it to himself. It had actually taken Pritchard months to realize what Jensen’s scent even was, which brought up the second reason he was allowed to wander around Pritchard’s office.

Despite its subtlety, Jensen scent was still an Alpha scent. Whenever an Alpha with no respect for boundaries decided to barge in, it was honestly _very_ rewarding to watch their expression morph into a contorted look of confusion as they backed out again. Then watching them try and figure out what exactly had set their senses off. Pritchard was half convinced Jensen had done it on purpose, but more than likely it was just proximity. All the control in the world couldn’t completely stop an Alpha’s scent from sticking around eventually.

But now, with a heat coming on, was not the time to take a deep whiff of Alpha scent, no matter how subtle it may be.

“Hey Frank- whoa, you weren’t kidding,” Malik said, covering her nose as she stopped at the door. Pritchard sighed so heavily it was almost a groan.

“Of course not, why would I be?” he asked, but without his usual bite. He stood, fighting to keep his legs from getting too shakey. He would walk out of the building and get to his apartment on his own volition, of that he was damn sure.

“Well, Sarif told me it’s ok to take the VTOL, and uh, not to be rude or anything, but you probably don’t want to be out smelling like that,” Malik said. She still had a hand over her nose, and Pritchard honestly couldn’t blame her. His hormones had jumped into overdrive when he’d accidentally took in Jensen’s scent, and all his stubborn pride wasn’t going to back it up now. He nodded, not speaking while he breathed as shallowly as he could through the mouth. He grabbed his backpack and slung it over his shoulder, and walked over to her. She led the way, and some kind of memo must have gone out because the hallways were mercifully clear of other employees. 

They made it to the cafeteria before running into George _fucking_ Hermann.

“Whoa whoa whoa, what’s going on here?” the Alpha asked, getting up much closer than necessary, or even polite by Alpha standards. Which was saying something, given Alpha standards meant about six inches away in general. 

“Go back to work, Hermann,” Malik said, quickly wedging herself between the technician and the scientist. Normally, Pritchard would be at least a little indignant, but right now he was glad for the scent barrier. Hermann smelled like grease and something vaguely like decay, right along with the musk all Alphas seemed to carry. And right now he was turning the pheromones right up, and it made Pritchard feel nauseous. Which was unusual, given he was halfway to rubbing himself against the Beta in front of him for nothing else than a need for physical contact. He should feel about ready to bed the obnoxious Alpha, but he wasn’t interested. It was distracting enough that he didn’t catch Jensen’s presence until Hermann was slammed up against a wall.

“Is there a problem?” the head of security asked, and that voice just _did things_.

Pritchard swayed a little and grabbed Malik’s shoulder for support. He tasted blood as he bit his lip, hard enough to distract his hormones for _one damn minute._

“Come on, Frank,” Malik said quietly, leading the technician away as quickly as she could while the Alphas faced off. They had to walk, because having an Omega that was almost in heat in the same space as multiple Alpha’s was generally a fantastic way to get somebody killed. Pritchard couldn’t even trust himself to speak at this point because most of his thinking was taken up by just get out the fucking door without embarrassing yourself.

There was a metallic sounding crash, and Pritchard forced himself to just keep walking forward. God, he hated biology. Normally Alphas fighting was something he considered stupid and completely unstandable in his general vicinity, especially given it was all a power play to see who could get the Omega, but goddamn if it wasn’t attractive _right fucking now._

“You live on the top floor, right?” Malik asked, actually helping Pritchard enter the VTOL. At least the wind was helping clear his head.

“I am an Omega, aren’t I?” he asked drily, trying to keep himself from getting back out again. Malik gave him a wan smile, then hurried into the cockpit to get off the ground. Pritchard closed his eyes, and tried to focus on unattractive thoughts. Rotten eggs. Networks running Telnet. Butchered augments. Script kiddies. Jensen stabbing someone. 

Had Jensen stabbing someone always been a turn on? _Fuck._

Pritchard hit his hand against the side of the VTOL. They were in the air _thank god_ and speeding towards the Chiron Building. The tech was actually glad they’d taken the VTOL. He definitely would have had a hard time getting home on his own in this condition. Even on his bike. Wait, no, especially on his bike, now that he thought of it. Hot, vibrating metal between his legs was not what he needed right now. No, right now, he needed his nice, sterile apartment that pumped in filtered air and a cold shower. A long, cold shower. And then he would bake, because that was what he did when this happened. He baked and cooked and made food that lasted him months because giving into nesting instincts kept him from giving into mating instincts and at least then he was _doing_ something. 

Granted, this felt like about the worst heat he’d ever gone into yet, but he’d thought that about the last one and he’d managed to get through that one with only one day locked in his room with all the pillows and blankets in his apartment wrapped up in his bed, so he could get through this one, too. 

Malik had landed on the roof of the Chiron Building while Pritchard had been thinking, and surprised the tech when the doors opened.

“Need any help getting in, Frank?” the pilot asked. 

“No,” Pritchard said, forcing himself up and out. There were only Omegas on the top floor, so there was no need for worry there. He waved as he walked in, and managed to make it into his apartment before his legs gave out on him. The technician tossed his backpack aside, only a couple feet in front of him, then sighed. He fought to master himself. He couldn’t give into his hormones now, or he wouldn’t be able to get anything done at all. 

So, with a sigh, the technician crawled across his apartment to the shower, and set the water as cold as it could get. It took about fifteen minutes of ice water before he could pull himself up to standing, and another thirty before he risked washing. If his teenage years had taught him anything, it was that warm water was a firm no, even if he was in a sterile, scentless apartment. 

Feeling less ready to jump the next thing that was remotely comfortable as a docking station, the technician changed into something comfortable and went into his kitchen. He had to admit, coming from a long line of Omegas, even if he was the only male in that line, had its advantages. Like homemade suppressing tea, and knowing other tricks to delay the inevitable. Like his first intention. Cooking.

Pritchard smoked while he cooked. It was also one of the few times he let his hair down, literally and figuratively. 

“Cas, play some music, would you?” he called out. 

“Sure thing,” a voice, that of young man, called back, and soon grunge flooded the apartment. Cas, short for Casper, was an VI Pritchard had been building for years. A product of being the child of a single parent and a love of a childhood film, Cas was Pritchard’s personal, voice activated assistant. Occasionally Pritchard suspected his VI was becoming more of an AI, but the thought didn’t exactly bother him. On the contrary, it was something of a point of pride.

It was several hours later that Pritchard’s single-minded focus was broken by an interruption in the music.

“You have a guest, Frank,” Cas said. Pritchard sighed, and walked over to the intercom just as someone rang in.

“Whoever this is, I-”

“Pritchard,” Jensen said, cutting him off. That voice should be illegal, especially given he’d only said _one damn word._

“What do you want, Jensen?” Pritchard asked, trying to hide the way his breath had hitched. He could feel his heart rate rising, and hoped this conversation would end quickly. Stupid Alphas and fucking hormones… quite literally, actually.

“I was just checking in,” Jensen said. “How are you holding up?”

“I was doing fine until you showed up,” Pritchard said, then slapped a hand to his mouth because he just said that out loud _Jesus Christ_. The security head didn’t seem to catch the slip up, however.

“I also wanted to apologize for the scene with Hermann,” Jensen went on. Thinking about it caused a slight tingle to go up Pritchard’s spine, but he ignored it. 

“It’s fine,” he said. Damn, it looked like he’d need another shower. “Is that all?”

“Is there anything you need?” Jensen asked. Pritchard almost felt a physical snap. He leaned into the wall. Make that two showers. If there was one thing an Alpha could do when an Omega was going through heat that was almost sure to get them going was to show concern.

And suddenly Pritchard stopped. Jensen was still talking, but he couldn’t understand the words, as his high school biology class came back to him. 

_Alpha Courting Behaviours:  
Scent Marking  
Territorialism  
Concern_

_Omega Courting Behaviours:  
Unusual heats  
Disregard of other Alpha scents  
Immediate reaction to select Alpha’s presence_

“Jensen,” Pritchard said, as the realization really hit him. “Have you been courting me?”

There was silence from the other end. And then… a snort. And a chuckle, and Jensen must have turned away but Pritchard could still hear the slight rumble of his laugh. God did that do things to him. Had he ever heard Jensen laugh before?

“Sorry, that’s not funny,” Jensen said. 

“No, it’s not,” Pritchard said, speaking through his teeth. If this were some kind of _sick joke-_

“I just… I thought you knew,” Jensen said. Pritchard bit his tongue. He really needed a better way of coping with his hormones. “Did you really just figure it out now?”

“No, I just thought it would be hilarious to pretend like I hadn’t until I went into heat for the _third time in the past six months-_ ”

“Alright, alright, I’m sorry,” Jensen said. “I just knew if I came on too strong you wouldn’t even give me a chance.”

“And what made you think that?” Pritchard asked. This was dangerous. He should really stop talking, because it was really not a good idea right now. But at the same time, it was hard to pull himself away now that he knew he was being courted. By, of all people, Jensen. It had been some time since he’d really been courted. 

“Well, other than Malik,” Jensen said. “Maybe the rant you go on every time an Alpha makes a pass at you?”

“Oh,” Pritchard said. “Well, that’s just because-”

“They’re only trying to prove they can get the Omega, I know,” Jensen said. “I could probably repeat your schpeel back to you, if you want.”

“Go ahead,” Pritchard said, then mentally kicked himself. His head felt clouded, but in a good way, and he was having a hard time remembering why that was a bad thing. 

“... Francis, how far gone are you?” Jensen asked. How far gone… ? Oh, right, in heat.

“I… it was… fine until….”

“Until I showed up, right,” Jensen said. “Pritchard, can I come in?”

“Can you-” Pritchard groaned as the thought registered, choking off his own question. This was not good. Why was this not good? He couldn’t remember. 

He heard the click of the door opening. Did he do that? No, that must have been-

Pritchard wasn’t sure what had happened in the last couple of minutes, but what he did know was that he was now kissing Jensen in the middle of his apartment and _he was going to kill Cas._

The technician broke away from the kiss, but the most he could manage to do was put his forehead on Jensen’s shoulder. 

“God I hate hormones,” he said. Jensen chuckled. He shifted, and there was a rattling sound. The security head held up a hand.

“Well I pulled a few strings to help with that,” he said. Pritchard raised his head up, and then practically jumped.

“Suppressants?” he asked, taking the bottle and turning it over in his hand. 

“You can thank Sarif more than me,” Jensen said, and Pritchard looked back to him. And then he was kissing him again and honestly, it was a wonderful feeling. 

“As much as I could get used to this side of you, Francis,” Jensen said as they pulled away. The security took Pritchard’s wrist to bring the suppressants in front of the tech’s face. “I think you’d better take these before we talk.”

“Why?” Pritchard asked. He was really having a hard time remembering what was so important about them. Especially when Jensen was actually looking him in the eye.

“Pritchard,” the security head said, taking a step back himself. “Take the suppressants.”

“Fine,” the technician said, doing as he was bid. Jensen got him some water, but stayed at least a foot away. It was a good twenty minutes later that Pritchard started rubbing his eyes as he walked over to his couch. “Oh, god, my head.”

“Feeling more like yourself?” Jensen asked. He seemed amused, crossing his arms as he watched the technician.

“I blame you for this, Jensen,” Pritchard said, collapsing on the sofa. 

“I’m pretty sure I already took credit, but I understand if you forgot between everything else,” Jensen replied, walking over to lean against the wall. Pritchard shot him a glare. 

“I hope you realize I have never had anyone else in my apartment before,” he said accusingly. 

“I feel duly honored,” Jensen said. “Can I get you anything?”

“Don’t do that!” Pritchard said, groaning and pushing his palms into his eyes. 

“Do what?” 

“Show concern!” the tech replied. Jensen arched a brow. “The suppressants aren’t exactly a cure all. They just make things easier.”

“I’m aware of how they work,” the security head replied. “That was kind of the point of making sure you had them.”

“What point?” Pritchard asked, still keeping his palms against his eyes. God, did hormones and suppressants _suck._

“That you could control yourself,” Jensen said. Pritchard paused, then lowered his hands and sat up.

“What?” he asked. Jensen was serious now.

“I’m not playing get the Omega, Francis,” he said. “If anything happens, I want it to be because you actually wanted it to happen.”

It was a good ten minutes of Pritchard staring before Jensen arched a brow.

“Wow. I wish I’d known earlier how to make you speechless,” he said. Pritchard glared, and sat back, turning his head away, heat creeping into his face. He felt like a sulking teenager. “Are you blushing, Francis?”

“Get out, Jensen,” Pritchard said. It was quiet a minute, then Jensen sighed.

“Alright, fine,” he said. “Let me know if you need anything. Really.”

“Just go, would you?” the technician replied. Jensen held his hands up as he walked away, but paused to look back at the head of cyber security once more.

“Can I still court you?” he asked. 

“As if I could stop you,” Pritchard said, rolling his eyes.

“You could,” Jensen said. Pritchard looked at him. “If it makes you uncomfortable, I’ll stop.”

“... it’s fine,” the technician said, looking away again.

“Are you-”

“I said _it’s fine_ , Jensen,” Pritchard said, hating the way his face was heating up. Jensen tried not to laughed, but the glare he was shot indicated he wasn’t successful. 

“I’m sorry, it’s not funny.”

“No, it’s not,” Pritchard said. “Now get out.”

Jensen nodded, and finally, _finally_ left the Omega’s apartment. Pritchard heaved a heavy sigh.

“Cas, I’m going to murder you,” he said, an arm slung over his eyes.

“I don’t think that’s actually possible at this point,” Cas replied. “How about some music instead?”

“Very well,” Francis replied, and the AI played some metal music loudly.


	2. Chapter 2

Pritchard woke up with a pounding headache and a truly _incredible_ boner. Mainly because he wasn’t supposed to have one. The technician grit his teeth, and tried not to move. What had he been dreaming about? Suppressants usually blocked out dreams. But he had dreamed. He’d dreamed about… _Adam._

_Surprisingly warm metallic hands caressing down his back. A sense of heady breathlessness. The scratch of that ridiculous beard against his neck, the vibration of his low chuckle before his teeth sunk into-_

Pritchard groaned as the images flew back to him. His hand was already down his pants and well that was that, apparently. He had never, _never_ given into a heat on the second day. But he’d also never needed to when he should have still been under the effects of his suppressants. Which his headache indicated he still was. So there was no way this should be happening unless- _he was going to kill him._

 _The next time he saw that Alpha he was going to_ \- ok, ok, maybe not right when he saw him. That would be rash and just leave Pritchard in the same predicament. First, he was going to let Jensen fuck his brains out. _Then he was going to kill him._

Groaning, the technician pressed a hand over his eyes as he let the other do its work, but he knew it wouldn’t be enough. Of course it wouldn’t be enough, because fucking Jensen had managed to put him in a _fucking bonding heat._

He could be wrong. God, he hoped he was wrong. With his free, clean hand, the Omega grabbed his cell phone and hurriedly texted the one person that could tell him for sure.

_mom, can you go into full heat while on suppressants?_

He hated resorting to this, but he had to know for sure. The reply was quick.

**_francis wendell pritchard you are not a teenager and you know as well as i do what THAT means_**

Of course he did, that was why he’d texted her to try and find out if he could be delusional or not. His family had so many Omegas there had to be something that could be done.

_is there a way to fix it?_

 

**_“fix” it? honey, i hope you realize not everyone goes into a bonding heat to begin with_ **

Apparently, his body was going to react to just seeing the words “bonding heat”, which caused him to have to pause for a good ten minutes to get himself under control enough to continue texting. He supposed this was an odd time to be texting his mother, but it’s not like he was exactly living in a bubble during his teenaged heats. This was actually the least invasive conversation he’d had with his mother about heats in years. When he had himself under control again, he tried a different approach.

_yes i know that but isn’t there anything i can do to stop it?  
or at least delay it?_

 

**_i’m afraid not, honey. but i will tell you this.  
no omega has gone into a bonding heat for someone they didn’t want to bond with._ **

Francis swallowed a dry lump in his throat. Was she kidding? No, his mother didn’t kid. Her humor was too dry for jokes like that; and, besides, she was always honest when it came to “Omega matters”, as she called them.

But there was still the issue of - _no don’t think about him_ \- and the fact that he hardly knew- ok, maybe that wasn’t strictly true. He probably knew more about _him_ than _he_ even wanted him to know. Or not, giving he was courting the tech. It was he-who-I-shall-not-think-about who hardly knew anything about Pritchard. He might be the one that didn’t want to bond.

A thick, dark feeling settled in the pit of Pritchard’s stomach at that.

_are you sure?  
i didn’t even know he’d been courting me until yesterday!_

 

**did you not know or did you deny it because you’ve convinced yourself that all alphas are bullies?**

Well, he couldn’t deny that she had a point there. After one too many Alphas that didn’t know how to keep their goddamn hands to themselves, Francis had decided he was never, ever going to be with one. In fact, he felt he could manage quite well on his own. Though it seemed his damn Omega physiology had other ideas. His mother texted something else.

**_besides, even if you didn’t know, your body did_ **

 

_i hate biology_

He really, truly did, with a passion that could only be matched by, well, his mother, if he was being honest.

__**don’t we all?  
but here, how about a better question  
do you want to bond with this alpha?**

That sent Pritchard’s mind whirling, back into the dream images of Jensen running his hands all over him, Jensen’s rumbling laugh like thunder, Jensen biting into the glands his neck, Jensen… Adam. _Adam, Adam, Adam._

Looking at the time stamp, it was half an hour later he got his mother’s next message.

_**i’m just going to assume that was a yes** _

i don’t want this to be about me being in heat

And he didn’t. He was surprised by how much he didn’t. He wanted… oh, god. He wanted Adam, and he wanted Adam to… to… he could barely think it. He didn’t want to just bond. He wanted… he wanted a _relationship_. He wanted Adam to want to bond but not because he was in heat or… god _damn_ him and his fucking Alpha hormones. This was moving too fast. He wanted time to build something, but his body was giving him a biological imperative. There was only one known way to stop a bonding heat; it was kind of the reason they gave it the name.

 __ **if he was really courting you, it won’t be  
** i’ve met a few true bonded omegas  
one of them went into heat when they bumped into a stranger  
and none of them are unhappy  
i know our biology sucks, but it does actually know what it’s doing  
it wouldn’t push you towards someone bad for you

 

i just want more time  
this feels rushed, like it’s happening backwards

 

 **sometimes it happens like that  
** besides, you’re probably over thinking things the way you always do  
just take a chance for once, be impulsive

 

i don’t really do impulsive, mom

 

 **i know  
** it’s been a pain in the ass since you hit puberty  
just tell him how you feel  
then talk to me afterwards. i want to know how it goes

 

i’ll try.  
love you

 

**love you too, honey**

 

Pritchard tossed his phone away, racking his brain for any way to tell Jensen he was in a bonding heat that would possibly make it sound like he was still in his right mind and not delirious from the heat itself. Finally, he settled on calling him. And then he remembered that was a bad idea. 

Pritchard tried to sit up enough to look at his computer, but the effort was futile. Email was his best option, but it seemed he wasn’t getting out of bed anytime so. He sighed, then made another plan.

“Cas, could you send an email to Jensen for me?” he called out, studiously avoiding the man’s first name. 

“Sure. What should it say?” the AI called cheerfully. Oh, right. He needed it to say something. The tech put an arm over his eyes.

“I don’t care. Just… get the point across, please?” he asked. He felt a little pathetic that way, but it was the best he could do with the suppressants winding down and not really wanting the headache they would bring enough to take more. Besides, the wouldn’t stop this. The only thing that would would be-

 

And he was lost, tumbling down a rabbit hole of half finished thoughts and mostly imagined sensations, but overall, a name.

 _Adam, Adam, Adam._

 

***

Adam Jensen was at work monitoring security feeds when is computer pinged to alert him that he had a new email. He glanced at the sender, then did a double take and opened it.

_Mr. Jensen,_

My name is Casper, I’m a virtual intelligence that Frank built! He’s a little out of it at the moment, so asked me to send this message to you! Oh, and I’m sure at some point he’d want an insult thrown in, so pretend there is one, please!

 

What followed was a text message conversation between Pritchard and, apparently, his mother. It didn’t take him long to get the idea, and when he did, he had to sit back.

Adam took a deep, deep breath. Pritchard had never been in his office, which struck him as something that would need to be rectified later. Because there would be a later; a later where Adam would make sure the Omega’s scent was very present in his space. He was already half way there in Pritchard’s office, though he supposed it had been a little underhanded of him. Still, the man hadn’t complained when he figured it out, and now….

Adam took another deep, long breath. He could completely cut off his hormones if he wanted to. He supposed it had something to do with what White Helix had done to him. He didn’t think anyone really knew just how much control he had over them. And then there was Pritchard.

If Adam was a subtle Alpha, Pritchard was a very overt Omega. Even when he’d still been with Megan the technician’s scent would creep up on him. At first, it annoyed him. But then Megan had explained, very scientifically, that there were probably two reasons for it.

One, Pritchard was from an old line of Omegas. In fact, _both_ his parents had been Omegas. Reed had believed the genetics possibly accounted for some of his stronger tendencies, but there was also that he’d grown up in an all Omega household. He’d never had to try and restrain his scent the way most Omegas did. The scientist in Megan had wondered whether it was the nature or the nurture part, but Adam had been less interested.

The second reason why Pritchard was so overt was that he was a virgin. It had been documented that the older Omegas became without having any partners, the harder their biology pushed to attract a mate. The head of cyber security just happened to have a double whammy when it came to biology.

So Jensen could never exactly blame the Alphas that came on to the tech, even though it was clear none of them liked the man. He’d overheard more than one conversation about ways to shut Pritchard up, most of them a sexual harassment suit in the making. But, over time, Jensen did begin to understand the technician a little better. That was when he’d started leaving his scent around the Omega’s office.

At first, Pritchard had seemed oblivious. Not completely, but enough that Jensen tried to be a little more subtle. Eventually, though, he knew the Omega had figured it out. Mainly because he was in the room when a look of realization had come over Pritchard’s face and he’d opened his mouth to say something… and didn’t. He just stopped, then went back to his computer without a word. But the look on his face had been almost… grateful. Enough that Adam knew he’d made a mistake.

Somehow, he’d managed to fall for the surly Omega.

He’d already broken it off with Megan at that point. In fact, it had taken him a while to finish getting his head straight after Panchaea to figure it out. And by then it was too late. He was over his head and no idea what to do next.

He knew, from a few drunken ramblings at the bar, stories from Malik, and just general pissed off rants that if he started coming on to Pritchard too hard that he would be immediately rebuffed. So he’d been subtle, waiting for the head of cyber security to take the hint and, in all likelihood, come and yell at him. But it never happened. He thought maybe he was being too subtle, except for the fact that both Malik and Sarif were offering him veiled advice. So it had to be noticeable, right?

It honestly hadn’t occurred to him that the only person in the entire office that didn’t know Jensen was courting Pritchard was the man himself. Not until the day he’d gone over to Pritchard’s apartment, at least.

And now… Jensen closed his eyes. Took yet another deep breath, imagining the Omega’s scent. Metallic burning, like a wire on the fritz, mixed with a tinge of motor oil and grease, and copper, tangy and just a little heady. The technician left a trail of that scent wherever he went; Jensen always knew if the man was still in the office and how recently he’d left. And when he was starting to go into heat.

It was the copper that always tipped him off. It would stand out, stronger than usual, and then an undercurrent of… something, something sweet. He hadn’t been able to place it yet, but it was always so out of place with the rest of Pritchard’s scent that he just _knew_. 

He wondered how strong the sweet scent would be now.

The head of security shot off an email to Sarif and gathered his things, not waiting for a reply. He passed a few Betas in the hall, and they looked a little bewildered as he walked past. He realized he’d forgotten to stifle his hormones. He did so now. He nodded to Cindy as he walked past the front desk. For once in his life, he wished he drove to work. But no use crying over spilled milk.

At least he knew where he was going. At the thought, the Alpha couldn’t quite contain a shiver. 

He really hoped Pritchard wouldn’t regret this later. Adam knew he wouldn’t.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> goddammit this was supposed to be the last chapter. next one, i swear.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They do the do. This was supposed to happen in chapter one. Sigh, oh well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Screw it. I'll know when I'm done.

When Jensen reached the Chiron Building, He stopped at his own apartment first to unarm himself. Mainly because he wasn’t sure where this was going to go entirely and wanted to prepare for contingencies like make himself less likely to kill anyone that happened to come along at the wrong moment. Or a misfire. Impossible with the safety on, of course, but then, Alpha hormones didn’t exactly make things make much sense. And he was barely feeling them at the moment to begin with. Then he went up to the top floor.

Like all Omega apartments, at least all the ones Adam had seen, Pritchard’s apartment had an intercom for screening visitors. Jensen went to press the button, but paused as he heard a click. Gently, he tried the handle. The door swung open, and the head of security arched a brow. He closed the door behind him, walking in slowly. He scented the air.

Even in the filtered air of the apartment, it wasn’t hard to locate the Omega by scent. And that sweet scent, it was definitely stronger. He still couldn’t quite place it…

_Honey_ , he thought, hit by a wave of smell as he opened the door to what was apparently the bedroom. A cursory glance suggested Pritchard hadn’t changed anything from what came with the apartment. But Adam wasn’t really there to critique the man’s sense of style. 

The room was filled with the Omega’s scent, Adam subconsciously flicked out his tongue. He could practically taste it. He shut the door, plunging the room into darkness. He crept to the side of the bed, where a mass of blankets and pillows sat in a rolled up pile. Jensen dampened his hormones a little more. He couldn’t stop scenting the air, and he wanted just a few minutes to talk. 

“Pritchard,” he said, leaning down by the man’s head. He could only tell where it was from the hair creeping out from a crevasse in the blanket pile. He heard a whimper, and the blankets seemed to curl in on themselves. Adam put a hand on the bed frame, steadying himself. Of all things, he hadn’t been expecting _that._

After a few minutes, the technician shifted so that Adam could see the light of the digital clock reflecting off of his eyes, peering out at him.

“Jensen,” he said, softly, guarded. “So, you… came. I didn’t…”

“I’m assuming your VI let me in,” Jensen said, retracting his shades. He could hear Pritchard’s panting breaths, could smell the mix of sweat and cum from the blankets. He thought that really probably shouldn’t be a turn on, but it just made him want to pull the Omega out of the blankets and pound into him until Francis was covered in _his_ scent, and not just the man’s own. 

“Oh, right, Cas,” the Omega said. “But I… I meant I didn’t… I can’t… smell you.”

“I can do that, yeah,” Jensen replied, shifting and taking shallow breaths. He reminded himself that this question was important.

“Why are you… doing that?” Pritchard asked. 

“Your VI, do you know what he sent me?” Adam asked. Considering the opening, he guessed not, but he wanted to be sure.

“Not really… no,” the tech replied. The blankets seemed to be trembling slightly. He was probably fighting to stay still.

“He sent me the conversation you had with your mother,” the security head said. There was a pause.

“I’m gonna kill him,” Pritchard muttered, and Jensen smiled in spite of himself. Then he forced himself to focus again.

“Francis,” he said, doing his best to ignore the other man’s quiet groan, “I have a question for you. I think it’s important to ask you face to face.”

“... alright, ask,” the tech said. Jensen watched the man’s eyes a moment, then steeled himself.

“Francis, do you want to bond with me?” he asked. He heard the tech his in a breath, and the other man closed his eyes.

“Dammit, Jensen…” he said, voice breaking in the middle. 

“That’s not really an-”

“Yes,” the tech amended. “Yes, you insufferable… goddamn… sneaking… yes, I _want_ to bond with you.”

Adam took in a little breath, feeling like his heart had stopped for just a moment. It hadn’t, of course, the sentinel health program would have let him know if it had, but that didn’t change the feeling. And then, letting out the breath, he dropped his hold on his hormones.

The response was instantaneous. 

Jensen found himself on the floor with a lap full of Pritchard. Oh, they were kissing again, too. That was as good as he’d remembered it, although it was by far more forceful now. He didn’t really have a problem with that, either. And when he felt something warm and wet against his lips, he opened them and sent his own tongue exploring. But this position… no, it wouldn’t do.

Jensen rolled, pinning Pritchard beneath him. The technician groaned into the kiss, hands grabbing the augmented man’s jacket as Adam’s leg accidentally pressed against his erection. It was at about this point that the Alpha realized something very, _very_ important. 

Francis Wendell Pritchard was already completely and utterly naked.

He felt like a firework had gone off in his head, and he bit the slighter man’s lower lip. Pritchard panted and moaned, then inhaled sharply, hands burrowing further into Adam’s jacket as the Alpha ground his leg against him, trying to pull him closer. And Jensen was tempted to give in, but not just yet. He wanted to _see._

Adam forced himself to pull back, ignoring Frank’s noise of displeasure as he rocked back on his heels. He gently but firmly took the Omega’s wrists, trying to dislodge them.

“I want to see you…” he murmured, and that seemed to do the trick. Pritchard let go, albeit reluctantly, and let the Alpha position his arms above his head. “Keep ‘em there a minute.”

Pritchard panted, surprisingly toned chest rising and falling with the sound. He had tattoos; binary code peeking from the side of his neck, a snake in front of a radioactive signal on his arm, a barcode between his shoulder blades, a quote on his hipbone… Adam swallowed. He glanced up at Francis, and something in his look made the man groan and shut his eyes, quivering with the effort of keeping still. It made the Alpha above him take a very controlled, deep breath. 

Adam shrugged out of his trenchcoat. He didn’t want the sleeves to get in the way as he gently caressed Pritchard’s pectoral muscles, letting his hand ghost over the bumps of his abdominal region as he stroked the man’s side. He repeated the motion, and the Omega making little noises of pleasures as he added his other hand on the other side, just stroking up and down. The honey scent was getting overwhelming, but the Alpha really didn’t care. He liked the feel of Frank’s skin; the way it tensed under his ministrations, the contrast between soft skin and hard muscle. 

It was the whine that did it. The very soft, breathy keen of need. He might have been able to just touch like that for hours, but he couldn’t hold back when his mate made a sound like that. And he paused. _Mate._ They were really doing this. They were going to bond. They would be mates. Pritchard would be _his_ mate. His _mate._

Adam felt the need to do several things at once; one was getting his own clothes off, another was tasting the Omega beneath him, the third was getting said Omega’s knees on his shoulders so he could pound into him until they both passed out, and the last was sinking his teeth into the bonding glands at the base of the technician’s throat while doing the former activity. So he compromised with himself.

He pulled his shirt off and tossed it aside, then lifted Pritchard off the floor because he really couldn’t stand the thought of bonding on such an uncomfortable surface. Staying on his knees, he deposited the man on the bed, and then satisfied another desire by taking as much of the Omega’s dick into his mouth as he could.

Francis groaned, hips jerking forward impulsively and hands threading into Adam’s hair. The Alpha hummed, and his mate-to-be gasped, fingers tightening as Adam sucked. The Alpha kept one hand on Frank’s hip to hold him still, and with the other he undid his pants. He awkwardly kicked off his shoes, and looked up at Francis.

The man had one hand covering his mouth, hindering the noises he was making. Adam brushed it away gently, and it ended up tangled in the pile of blankets. The Alpha pulled off the man’s cock, pumping it with one hand as he worked to shimmy out of his pants. He licked a stripe from base to tip, and Frank groaned. Adam was glad he was bisexual and this wasn’t his first time doing this. 

Pants off, he took his other hand to massage Pritchard’s balls, and the Omega threw his head back, exposing his glands with a sharp intake of breath. Adam felt himself smirk, and he took in just the man’s head, sucking and massaging with his tongue. Francis made that breathy whine again, and Adam took him in to the hilt. 

“Adam….” the word was a mangled mess, but goddamn if it didn’t sound so sweet, _“Please.”_

The Alpha was off him with a pop, and pushed up to claim the other man’s lips with fervor. Pritchard’s bottom lip was swollen from the bite earlier, and Adam licked in atonement. Then he shuddered and groaned as Francis took his erection in hand. The technician pumped him, clumsy, unsure. Adam made him lay down, and moved his hand. _Another time._

The Alpha groaned internally. 

“Lube?” he asked, and it seemed to take Pritchard a minute to realize what he’d asked.

“Nightstand,” he said, and Adam cursed as he got up, moving to the said nightstand and finding the lube in the single drawer. When he turned back, he found the effort almost worth it.

Francis examined him, his sight like a caress as it travelled and down… and stopped. And the technician almost absently, like he was focusing on a something very intently, licked his lips. 

Adam wanted to kill him and fuck him at the same time. He settled for the latter.

He pushed one of Francis’s legs up until it bent, and held it there by resting it against his side. He squirted the lube onto his other hand, coating his fingers liberally. Then, watching Frank, he pushed in one finger. 

The Omega hissed, tucking his chin and tearing up as Adam rocked his finger in and out. Adam pressed himself up, into the Omega’s side pressed his lips to the man’s temple. He murmured reassurances, apologies, praise… Francis said nothing, baring it with bated breath and small hisses. It took Adam a few minutes to find his prostate, but he was more than gratified by the reaction.

Playfully, he moved to nip at Pritchard’s glands as he worked in a second finger. The Omega groaned, and Adam found the spot more quickly, rubbing and pressing as he stretched and scissored. Slowly, Francis’s head arched back again, and Adam eased down, back between his legs. The Omega’s eyes blinked open as Adam removed his fingers, then the breath left him as he realized what was about to happen. 

Adam looked up at Frank as he lubed up his cock, and paused, for just a moment.

“Francis,” the Omega groaned, “Are you sure you-”

“Adam I swear to god if you are about to ask me if I’m sure about this _now_ I am going to kill you,” Francis said. Adam felt his cock twitch, and he couldn’t help it. He smiled.

“Just checking,” he said, grabbed one of Pritchard’s hips as he positioned himself. 

Things seemed to grow quieter then. Adam watched as he pushed himself in, slowly, as gently as he could. Francis still hissed and tucked his chin, but when Adam glanced up he nodded. And do the Alpha continued, until he was fully sheathed. Then he used his free hand to pump Frank’s unattended penis, and the technician groaned. It wasn’t until the other man pressed against him that Adam moved. 

He started with shallow rocking movements, and when his mate looked like he was going to open his mouth to complain, he picked up the pace. Francis still seemed to be in more pain than pleasure, and Adam cursed his hormones for making them rush. Then he leaned down and stole Frank’s mouth, and he wasn’t sure if it was sexier to hear or _feel_ the sounds the Omega was making.

When at last Francis tilted his head back again, Adam took his chance. Rocketing up his pace, he bit into one of the Omega’s bonding glands. Francis made a sort of choked noise and came over Adam’s hand. The Alpha licked at the skin, the salty sweat that tasted, to him, a bit like copper and honey. He grabbed both of Francis’s hips to get himself finished, and spilled his seed inside the Omega.

Adam, mindful of his augmentation and weight, rolled, pulling Francis on top of him. The motion dislodged his penis, but at this point it really didn’t matter. For a while they just laid there, letting their heart rates drop and breathing return to normal. Adam absently stroked his mate’s hair. It was softer than he’d expected.

“...Adam?”

“Mm?”

“I… shit,” Francis said, and attempted to raise himself up only to fall gently back against the Alpha’s chest.

“What is it, Francis?” Jensen asked, mildly annoyed that they were wasting valuable cuddle time. Frank sighed, He shifted to the side instead, enough so that he could turn his head and look Adam in the eye. The Alpha opened his eyes halfway, to oblige him.

“Did you… I mean…” he seemed nervous. Jensen felt a growl building at the back of his throat, but he forestalled it. Damn overprotective hormones.

“Did I what?” Adam asked, trying not to let his hand tighten in the Omega’s hair. Francis took a deep breath.

“Did you… really want to bond with me?” he asked, words coming out in a rush. “I mean- _umph!_ ”

The last part was cut off as Jensen did growl, and shifted to curl on top of the technician, forcing them back into the positions they’d used for sex. Adam rocked against him with his already recovering cock, god bless augmentation. Francis stifled a whine, and Adam bit into the untouched side of his neck. It had the desired effect of the Omega pressed up into him, followed by a hiss as it made it possible for Jensen’s hardening cock to press into him. The Alpha kept them like that, shallowly rocking into Francis as the man whimpered and wiggled. Finally, Jensen cooled off enough to recover his voice, and pulled up to look his mate in the eye.

_“Francis,”_ he said, and pushed, fully encasing himself in his mate, _“Wendell,”_ and again, a quick jerk in and out, making his mate whine, _“Pritchard,”_ and again, and his mate was panting forcing himself to keep eye contact, _“I have courted you for over two years now,”_ more thrusts, Francis fighting to keep his head from falling back, _“I should damn well think I wanted to bond with you.”_

“T-” Francis had to swallow, “Two-o y-years?”

Adam groaned, and leaned down to bump his forehead against his insecure mate’s. 

“Yes, Francis, two years,” he said. He was still thrusting, and this close, he couldn’t help but claim his mate’s lips. It was slow and warm this time, the desperation had worn off. Pritchard was pliant, and even eager, though not as… biting, as usual. Adam reached, pumping the Omega’s member as he shifted to bite at his neck again, teasing the skin as he brought them both to a leisurely climax. The Alpha pulled out, and rolled again, still mindful of his greater weight. 

It was a while before Francis replied. Adam was starting to doze off, but the technician’s voice brought him back from the edge of sleep.

“I… I’m… sorry,” he mumbled. “For… asking that. Now. After… this.”

“Don’t,” Adam said, shifting them so that they were both on their sides. This was a face to face kind of conversation; he could sense it. “It’s fine.”

“But you-”

“Hormones,” Adam replied, carding a hand through the tech’s hair. He looked into the man’s eyes; dark blue, like a deceptive puddle that could really drown you if you weren’t careful. The look in them right now made him want to growl again, but he restrained himself. “I wasn’t mad at you. I was mad at the way you think of yourself.”

“Excuse me?” Francis asked, and Adam smiled. 

“That you still won’t believe that someone would want _you_ ,” he said. “That someone might actually be in love with you.”

“L-” and the man couldn’t even get the word out as his cheeks bloomed scarlet. Adam couldn’t help it and grinned.

“Who knew you could be cute?” he asked, causing the technician’s face to go even redder. 

“I’m not cu-”

Adam cut him off with a soft, chaste kiss, cupping his chin gently with one hand. He smiled at the technician’s bewildered expression, resting his head on his arm as he pulled back.

“I love you, Francis Wendell Pritchard,” he said. Frank floundered for words, mouth opening and closing and blinking rapidly. Finally, seemingly too flummoxed to think of anything, he turned away. Jensen chuckled, and moved forward, pulling the Omega into him and nuzzling the back of his neck. He felt completely relaxed and at ease, like warm jello. As he was beginning to doze off again, Francis muttered something. 

“What?” Adam asked, sitting up slightly. Francis muttered a little louder. “Francis, I can’t-”

“I _said_ , you too,” the technician finally sputtered. Jensen could see the tips of his red ears, and stared in disbelief for a minute. He took his mate’s shoulder and turned him onto his back, to look at his face. 

He was still red in the face, but he also looked defiant and pissed off. Adam wasn’t sure why that expression was a turn on, but it was. 

“You mean-”

“Yes.”

“Are you-”

“Yes.”

“But are-”

“Yes! Dammit, Adam,” Francis said, looking away at the last, pouting. Adam supposed now was not the time to point out he was being cute again. 

“Francis?” Adam asked.

“You want me to say it, don’t you?” the technician said, still not looking at him.

“Well, yes,” the Alpha replied, hand sneaking down his mate’s torso. Francis took in a small breath. Hormones would keep them both going for a while, especially given this was a bonding heat. Adam gently started pumping him, aware of how raw he himself was starting to feel. “Please?”

Francis sighed, and turned his head to look at him. His expression had softened, and he looked more like he was trying to stay mad but failing. At last, he cupped Adam’s face with both his hands and pushed up to kiss him, a little less than chaste, but with a sort of hopeful feeling to it. He laid back, looking up at his mate.

“Adam, I love you,” he said. The Alpha grinned, and Francis frowned and seemed about to say something about it before Adam leaned down and drew him into a deep, warm kiss, then turned him onto his stomach. “Ad-”

“Sorry,” the Alpha said, fishing the lube out from the blankets to apply more to himself before lining himself up to his mate’s entrance. “But I think, after this, you really need to stop talking.”

“What do you mean I-ah,” Francis said, bracing his hands on the wall as the Alpha pushed into him again. Adam held him by his hips, and leaned over to gently tease at his neck with his teeth. It caused the Omega to make some noises his mate found very attractive. Adam let up for only a moment.

“Because, no matter what it is you say, it seems to make me want to fuck you,” he said, and then he was attacking the Omega’s neck again before he could say anything, and Francis was reduced to a puddle of pleased sounds and heated skin.

It wasn’t very long before they finished, and for once, Francis took the advice he was given and just went along with Adam spooning him and murmuring absolutely nothing of substance but everything that mattered. And this time, Adam finally managed to doze off, though not before he smirked at his mate’s soft snoring.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> About 5 pages of smut there, guys. I hope you enjoyed it, since my brain decided it was more important than sleep last night.


End file.
